A change of scenery has worked wonders for Field Of Gold, who is in line to return to black-type company for the first time in almost two years in Saturday’s Gr.3 Rydges Wellington Airport Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) at Trentham.
The son of Starspangledbanner is a half-brother to Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Sherwood Forest, and he showed plenty of talent himself through the early stages of his career.
Field Of Gold’s nine-start campaign as a three-year-old produced three wins including the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), and he was a placegetter in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m). He also took on older horses at weight-for-age and finished a creditable sixth behind Coventina Bay in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m).
But the chestnut’s form fell away in his four-year-old season, and his owner-breeders Matthew Goodson and Dianna Perron elected to transfer him from Tony Pike’s Cambridge stable into the smaller surroundings of Bill Thurlow’s operation at Waverley.
Field Of Gold showed promising signs with three consecutive placings in the autumn of his five-year-old season, and he began his new campaign on a winning note with an impressive performance in a 1400m Rating 75 at Trentham on December 15.
Thurlow entered Field Of Gold for a 1600m open handicap at Otaki on Boxing Day, but late-scratched him when the track deteriorated through the afternoon.
Field Of Gold appears to be well placed in Saturday’s Phar Lap Trophy, with visiting Australian jockey Luke Currie booked to ride him at 55.5kg. But the weather is once again a major factor in Thurlow’s mind.
“We took him to Otaki on Boxing Day and the track ended up getting quite wet and tricky,” he said. “He’s a horse that really needs a reasonable surface to show his best, so we decided to late-scratch him and set him for this race at Trentham instead.
“Hopefully that rain that’s in the forecast leading into this meeting will stay away. He’s a very good galloper when he gets the right conditions. He showed that when he won first-up.
“His work has been excellent. He’s done really well since his win. I’ve been very happy with him. Wherever he ends up racing next, which will hopefully be at Trentham on Saturday, I’m sure he’ll perform well.”
Field Of Gold headlines a four-horse Trentham team for Thurlow, who will also saddle Royal Sovereigns in the Vernon and Vazey Truck Parts (1400m), Mister Fletcher in the Happy Hire (1600m) and The Big Picture in the Saddlery Warehouse Cambridge (1200m).
“Royal Sovereigns was a very good second on debut,” Thurlow said. “She ran home strongly on a wet track at New Plymouth, and she was beaten by a handy horse of Allan Sharrock’s (Komocean).
“She did nothing in her next run after that. We didn’t know what to make of that performance and couldn’t find anything wrong with her afterwards. But I’ve been happy with her work since then.
“She’s quite green, so we’ve elected to put a hood on and use a strong senior rider (Craig Grylls). We’re hoping for an improved performance from her.
“Mister Fletcher’s had just the one start for a good second placing. He was beaten by a better horse on the day over that 1400m distance. He’s a typical Almanzor, a real staying type of horse that I think will be better over further.
“I’m not sure he’ll be winning on Saturday, but the mile will suit him better than 1400m. He’ll get up to 2000m not long after that, and I think that’s when you’ll see the best of him.”
The Big Picture will attempt to continue a remarkable run for owner-breeders Humphrey and Fiona O’Leary, whose colours have been carried to black-type successes by Ladies Man, Whangaehu and Kelly Coe in recent weeks.
“The Big Picture picked up a little bit of a bug after his last run, so we had to back off him for a bit,” Thurlow said. “He’s through that now and has been working along very well.
“Rain-affected ground won’t trouble him at all. I think he should be quite a good chance on Saturday.”
